The Cell Within
"The Cell Within" is the thirteenth episode of Miami Vice's fifth season. The episode premiered on March 10, 1989. Summary Tubbs is locked in a dungeon with a prostitute, drug dealer, and psychologist by a best selling author who supposedly is a reformed ex-con that Tubbs put away. Plot A drug dealer in an underpass is offered a score from a white limo, when he approaches it he's knocked out and taken in, leaving his drugs and money behind. Meanwhile, Tubbs is at a book signing for The Cell Within, the book's writer, Jake Manning (John P. Ryan and a man Tubbs busted previously) and his partner Robert Phelps (L.M. Kit Carson) talk about the book and what Manning went through to write it, then he tells Tubbs that he went through hell in prison, and without him he wouldn't have his book. Manning calls Tubbs to have dinner with him that night, Crockett is skeptical of his "reforming", then leaves for a fishing vacation with Billy, with a rod given to him by Castillo, who warns Tubbs about going to see Manning because of his violent past and threatening to kill Tubbs at one point. Tubbs will attend, but armed. Tubbs is picked up by Manning's assistant "Battling" Barry Gay (Richard Gant), they talk about his classic fights, and how he met Manning in prison and the writer made Gay his personal assistant seven years ago. Manning is waiting for Tubbs, who talks more about his prison experience and asks Tubbs to do picture association with some videos he shows, in one of the videos is a man who once was in prison for illegal porn that now won a humanitarian award and had a journalism school named for him, talks about how sociopathy is now normal with all the instant gratification needs out there, and that society needs forceful people who understands there is no crime without punishment and to go out. When Tubbs asks when the other guests are arriving, Manning tells him he's the only guest, and when Tubbs tries to leave Gay shoots him with a tranquilizer dart. Tubbs wakes up in an exact replica of the cell Manning was in, where he is monitored by the ex-con. Castillo is concerned that Tubbs did not arrive, the team talk about Phelps getting Manning parole and their TV deal for his book. Castillo has Gina call the parole board for Manning's address while Switek helps Castillo find Phelps. Manning takes Tubbs on a tour of his "dungeon", with Mason Jackson, a man in prison with him who once offered to kill Tubbs but he put him in his own prison, a hooker named Anna (Maria Pitillo) who was put in because she propositioned him, Eddie, the drug dealer he brought in earlier, and Rhoda King (Robin Bartlett), his prison psychiatrist, who doesn't believe in her methods, and continues his twisted discussion of his definition of crime & punishment, then Tubbs is thrown back into his cell. Castillo stops by to see Phelps to ask about Manning, after Phelps talks about how the police have made him into a sociopath, he gives Castillo Manning's address. Manning has his own electric chair, and puts Jackson in it, right next to Tubbs' cell, and he is executed before Tubbs' eyes. Manning plans to execute everyone in his dungeon the same way. Tubbs tells him to go after the real criminals, like corrupt politicians, judges, who deserve the juice more than the small-time people in his "prison", and he & Manning would make a great team in that crusade, and wants Manning to let the others go, but Manning can't release Anna because she's a prostitute, and Tubbs asks to talk to Anna to prove she's not a whore, and Gay puts Tubbs in Anna's cell. Anna tries to come on to Tubbs, but Tubbs wants her to act innocent and not come on to him to save her life. Castillo learns about Rhoda's disappearance and the address Phelps gave him was bogus, so they stake out Phelps. Tubbs gets Anna fixed up like a virgin, and Manning is impressed, but wants to speak with Anna alone, and Tubbs begins working on Gay, trying to turn him against Manning by saying he is excluded from Manning's circle, now that he's a big star, and that he will take the fall for this and Manning will still do his book and movie. Phelps sees Gina & Trudy at his apartment building, runs to his car and takes off, with Switek tailing him. Manning & Anna talk about her life, that Anna's father made her do the bad things. Tubbs tries to escape by hitting Gay with an object, while Anna talks more about her life to Manning, who feels her up and exposes her as the whore he thinks she is. Tubbs has the keys and lets everyone go, then Gay jumps him and Manning takes the gun Gay had, and they all are back in their cells. Tubbs finds Anna, dead, in his cell. Eddie is also dead at the hands of Gay, leaving only Tubbs & Rhoda alive. After telling Manning he's sick, Manning wants Tubbs to feel what he feels about crime & punishment, to pull the lever to execute Rhoda, and wants Tubbs to speak with her, and she freaks out at the thought of being next to die. Switek has tracked Phelps to a boat, Castillo will get a Metro boat and pick him up to continue the pursuit. Tubbs tells Manning that Rhoda understands and not to do this, Manning said Tubbs will be the one to pull the switch, and Rhoda begs for her life. Phelps arrives at Manning's place and can't get in, but sets the alarm off, which saves Rhoda for now, and when Manning & Gay leave to check on the alarm Tubbs begins working on the electric chair. Phelps is taken to the dungeon to watch the execution of Rhoda by Tubbs, and Manning turns on Phelps, and forces him at gunpoint to throw the switch but he can't do it, so Gay throws the switch and Tubbs' re-rigging of the chair pays off, it kills Gay and Tubbs wrestles the gun away from Manning, who runs out of the house where the police are waiting, and they shoot Manning when he refuses to drop his knife. Before dying, Manning tells Tubbs "I've never been free, Rico. Notes *Crockett appears only briefly at the beginning, taking his son Billy fishing. *This is considered one of the best episodes of the final Miami Vice season, and is the last true "Tubbs episode", where the action focuses solely on Tubbs, although Too Much, Too Late also focuses on Tubbs, and can technically be considered the final "Tubbs episode". Music *"Keys Of Imagination" by Yanni (during book show) Quotes *"Like St. John of the Cross, I learned that everyone has a dark night of the soul, not just us criminals, but every single human being." -- Manning to Tubbs Category:Miami Vice Season 5 Episodes